Report: Pickup Losing Control at Green River Tunnel Exit Started Fatal Crash

Source: NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report Wednesday on the Green River Tunnel disaster, revealing that a 2006 Toyota Tundra pickup lost control while exiting the westbound tunnel, triggering a 26-vehicle pileup that resulted in three fatalities on February 14, 2025.

The report indicates that snow had fallen earlier that day, and slush and ice may have accumulated near the tunnel exit. The variable speed limit had been reduced from 65 mph to 55 mph.

After colliding with a metal guardrail, the Toyota partially blocked the road. Several vehicles, including a 2024 Peterbilt semi-truck, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 2020 Volvo VNL semi-truck, a 2012 Dodge Ram pickup, and a 2019 Freightliner Cascadia truck, were involved in subsequent collisions. A post-crash fire then erupted inside the tunnel.

The crash resulted in:

• Three fatalities, including two occupants of the Dodge Ram and a truck driver trapped in the tunnel

• Twenty injuries of varying severity

Authorities continue their investigation to determine liability. The NTSB, working with federal and local agencies, aims to establish the probable cause of the crash and issue safety recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.